Fifteen student-athletes across five sports were recognized by the league office Wednesday. Men's golf led the way for Valpo with four representatives, while baseball, and men's and women's outdoor track and field each boasted three.

Head track and field coach Ryan Moore sat down with Brad Collignon to reflect on Valpo's success at the recent Horizon League Championships, discuss his team's future, and how the University will benefit from the new track.

On Thursday, the Valparaiso men’s and women’s track teams sent a limited squad to compete in the Dr. Keeler Invitational at North Central College. Megan Howdeshell (Bourbon, Ind./Triton Junior-Senior) and Jacob Smutz (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) led the group with a pair of fourth-place finishes.

Construction has begun on Valparaiso University’s new track and field facility, as Valpo breaks ground on the eight-lane Warren G. Hoger Track at Brown Field, part of a wholesale reevaluation of the campus’ athletics and recreation facilities as outlined in the Campus Master Plan.

Valparaiso’s 4x400-meter relay team set a new program record in the event at the final day of the Horizon League Outdoor Championships. The relay team consisting of Antwon Hatchett , Joe Holy , Kurtis Slenk , and Andrew Butts clocked in at 3:22.05. The record-breaking time was good for fourth-place.

At day two of the Horizon League Championships in Youngstown, Ohio, Justin Zosso (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) led the Crusader men with a first-place finish in the pole vault. Zosso was crowned champion after clearing 14’6” in his first attempt at the height. Zozzo’s winning mark was the third-best height in program history.

Jeremy Getz (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the Crusader men at day one of the Horizon League Outdoor Championships with a third-place finish in the javelin. Getz, who has been dealing with an injury all season long, threw for a personal season-best of 181’0” in the final - missing second-place by just three inches.

On Saturday, the Crusader men traveled to Miami (Ohio) University to compete in the Redhawk Invitational; the team’s last chance to prepare for the Horizon League Outdoor Championships. Valparaiso took advantage of its opportunity, posting three third-place finishes and season-bests in nearly every event.

On Saturday, the Crusader men traveled to Chicago, Ill. to compete in the DePaul Relays. Valparaiso finished second overall with 191 total points. Antwon Hatchett and Jacob Frey led the Crusaders with first-place finishes in their respective events.

With third-place performances from Antwon Hatchett and Justin Zosso, the Crusader men finished the Chicagoland Championships in sixth-place with 48 total points. Twenty teams competed at the Championships.

The Crusader men’s track and field team finished the first day of the Chicagoland Championships in fifth-place with 20 points scored in eight events. Kevin Adamik and Jacob Smutz each posted top-three finishes for Valparaiso, taking second and third in their respective events.

On Saturday, the Crusader men traveled to Greencastle, Ind. to compete in the DePauw Invitational. Valparaiso saw nine athletes collect top ten finishes, with Elijah Owen and Justin Zosso leading the way with third and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

On Friday, several members from both the men’s and women’s Valparaiso track & field teams competed in the 30th Annual Stanford Invitational in Stanford, Calif. With entries from over 100 colleges, the meet will see roughly 3,000 athletes competing over the two day span. On day one, Jazmin Taylor and Jeremy Getz each captured top ten finishes for the Crusaders.

The Crusader men’s and women’s track & field team were scheduled to compete at the Purdue Invitational over the weekend. That meet has been canceled, however, due to unfavorable weather conditions. Valparaiso will instead send a select group of athletes to North Park University.

A trio of Crusaders collected Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Honors on Tuesday. Jacob Frey and Jazmin Taylor were selected as Field Athletes of the week, while Elizabeth Bloy was named Runner of the Week.

On Friday, Jacob Frey and Jacob Smutz saw action at the Meyo Invitational, held at the University of Notre Dame. Valparaiso also took part in the Windy City Invitational on Saturday. The Crusaders were able to post three first-place and several top-five finishes at the meet.

After two weeks off, the Crusader men returned to action on Saturday to take part in the Mastodon Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind. Despite the extended lay off, the Crusader men found plenty of success on Saturday, capturing a season high of four first-place finishes.

Both the men’s and women’s track & field team were forced to miss the IPFW duals due to inclement travel conditions. Rather than travel in unsafe conditions, both teams stayed in Valparaiso. The meet continued as scheduled.

On Friday, the Valparaiso men’s track & field team traveled to Allendale, Mich. to compete at the GVSU Invitational. In a field of twenty teams and over 800 total athletes, the Crusaders were able to finish in thirteenth place overall.

The Crusader men’s track & field team returned to competition this weekend, traveling to Hillsdale, Mich. to take part in the Hillsdale Winter Opener. The Crusaders boasted several top five finishers at the event. Valparaiso’s performance was highlighted by Junior Kevin Adamik who took second overall in the 400m hurdlers, finishing with a time of 1:01.12.

Valparaiso Track & Field head coach Ryan Moore has announced that current assistant coach James Overbo has been promoted to the program’s associate head coach position. Overbo has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track & field teams.

Valparaiso Track & Field head coach Ryan Moore has announced three new additions to his coaching staff. Patrick Heckroth, Dillion McBride, and Ross Bunchek join the Valparaiso Track & Field program as assistant coaches for the 2013-14 season. The trio solidifies an already talented staff consisting of James Overbo and Mike Straubel.